Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (RJP)

Mangaluru, Jan 27: When Barack Obama visited India this week, officials from various departments from his administration accompanied him. One of these officials was Shilpa Hegde of Mangaluru origin.

Shilpa works as a senior assistant staff secretary at the White House, the seat of the US President, and has been serving there for years in different capacities. When Obama travels outside his country, she becomes part of the team that accompanies him. Shilpa Hegde had come to India during the US President's just-concluded trip.

Shilpa was born and brought up in the USA, but she visits Perdoor and Mangaluru every year with her parents, said sources close to Shilpa.

Shilpa joined the Democratic Party after her studies in political science from University of North Carolina. She was part of 'Obama for America', the presidential campaign of Barack Obama in 2008 in North Carolina area in the capacity of field organizer. In 2009, she worked as a research analyst with the Atlas Project and in April 2010, she became the assistant director in the White House and served in this position till August 2011. Thereafter, she served as the assistant staff secretary in the White House for two years, after which she was promoted to the level of senior assistant staff secretary in July 2014.

She is the daughter of Vidya Hegde and Dr Sadananda Hegde, the brother of B Vasanthi S Shetty, former HoD of OBG department at K S Hegde hospital in Deralakatte, originally hailing from Perdoor in Udupi.

Her father Dr Sadananda Hegde, a former student of KMC, is a well-known doctor in the US.

Dr Subhash Chandra Shetty from Mangaluru who is relative of the Hegdes says that Shilpa loves Tulu despite being born and brought up in the USA and attempts to speak in Tulu at times.